He has begun wearing a helmet, and is calling on other adults to do the same. “If we want our young people to wear helmets, then the older generation should be an example,” he said.

He called on people to purchase or order their helmets

The use of mobile phones and earphones on motorbikes is now banned, as well, and the legal breath alcohol limit has been lowered from 400mcg to 250mcg.

Henderson said all of this combined with Covid-19 liquor trading restrictions to help reduce the number of crashes – especially the reduced hours of sale for alcohol.

“Police have stepped up during this time and the lockdown has contributed to this.”

Police spokesperson Trevor Pitt also credited stringent police work in the past month. Just six motor vehicle crashes were reported to police last month – a significant drop from the previous low of nine accidents reported in June 2017, he said.

Crash numbers were trending down even before the bar closures and restrictions on alcohol sales, he said, and this reduction had been further encouraged by police cracking down on noisy parties and overnight road traffic.

Police were concerned that motorists might now be becoming complacent, though, and were more likely to speed on the newly improved roads through Tupapa and Matavera. He warned that crashes were expected to increase this month, as social distancing restrictions ease.